The Week in Review 

Happy Friday!

I hope you had a wonderful week. I am grateful to serve you all in the 118th Congress. Read below to see what I’ve been working on this week. 

Continuing the Fight for Americans' Privacy

Today, the House voted to pass H.R.7888, the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act, to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act by a vote of 273-147. During consideration, I offered an amendment to end the government’s warrant surveillance of Americans under FISA 702. Unfortunately, my amendment tied 212-212, preventing adoption. Without this amendment, I could not support passage of H.R.7888.

Section 702 authorizes the federal government to intercept electronic communications of non-U.S. persons who are located outside of the United States. However, the communications of Americans are often swept up when monitoring foreign persons, are kept by intelligence agencies, and can be later accessed without a warrant. The Intelligence Community has regularly skirted the Fourth Amendment and improperly searched this database for information on their fellow Americans.

During the early stages of negotiations, I introduced the Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act (the Protect Liberty Act) to make significant reforms to Section 702, including requiring the government to get a warrant before searching for information on Americans, reducing the number of FBI personnel who can conduct these searches, reforming the FISA court, and closing a loophole that allows the federal government to purchase Americans’ data. While my bill overwhelmingly passed the House Judiciary Committee, members of the House Intelligence Committee forced additional compromise, which led to the introduction of H.R.7888.

While I’m disappointed by this setback, this will not be the end of my fight to safeguard Americans from being surveilled by their own government. I’m grateful for the bipartisan support of my colleagues and look forward to working with them in the future.

Tele-Town Hall Next Tuesday, April 16th

I am hosting my virtual tele-town hall next Tuesday, April 16, at 8:30 pm EDT/5:30 pm PDT. I will provide district updates and discuss what I’ve been working on in Washington. Please join the town hall and ask me questions! 

House to Deliver Mayorkas Impeachment Articles to the Senate Next Week

The House was scheduled to transmit its articles of impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate last Wednesday, April 10. To ensure that the Senate has adequate time to perform its duty to hold a trial, Speaker Johnson moved the transmission to next week.

The House passed the impeachment articles in February. We impeached Secretary Mayorkas for high crimes and misdemeanors, including his willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law and his breach of public trust. Throughout Alejandro Mayorkas’s tenure as Homeland Security Secretary, he has refused to comply with the immigration laws passed by Congress. He has repeatedly lied to Americans about his role in the invasion at our southern border.

As one of Secretary Mayorkas’s impeachment managers, I will help to present the case of Mayorkas’s impeachment to the Senate should Senator Schumer allow for a trial. 

Senator Schumer has a duty to the American people to hold an impeachment trial for Secretary Mayorkas. I and the ten other impeachment managers look forward to arguing our case for impeachment in the Senate.

House Oversight & Accountability Committee Activity

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing titled “Oversight of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.” My colleagues and I asked FDA Commissioner Robert Califf about a pattern of issues within the FDA to ensure the FDA is completing its role of regulatory oversight of the food and drug industries, prioritizing safety and effectiveness, and incentivizing innovation.

The University of Arizona has been engaged in research that would advance pain and addiction research to help combat the opioid crisis. I discussed the path forward for their important clinical trials with the FDA Commissioner.

Click the image below to hear my remarks:

The Oversight Committee held a markup and passed the following bills out of committee:

• H.R. 7109, the Equal Representation Act;
  
• H.R. 7868, the FEHB Protection Act;
  
• H.R. 7524, the GSA Technology Accountability Act;
  
• H.R. 7887, the Allowing Contractors to Choose Employees for Select Skills (ACCESS) Act;
  
• H.R. 7867, the Renewing Efficiency in Government by Budgeting Act (REG Budgeting Act);
  
• H.R. 272, the Astronaut Safe Temporary Ride Options (ASTRO) Act;
  
• H.R. 3019, the Federal Prison Oversight Act;
  
• H.R. 7869, the CBPO Retirement Technical Corrections Act;
  
• And various post office naming measures.

Demanding an Investigation into Unprecedented $37.7 Million Fine Against Grand Canyon University

I sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Inspector General Sandra Bruce urging her to investigate the record-setting $37.7 million fine imposed on Grand Canyon University (GCU). The allegations against GCU, the largest Christian university in the nation, are based on ED claims that have been refuted by federal courts, federal regulators, and state accreditors.

ED’s actions are a direct result of their well-documented disapproval of successful for-profit colleges and their unexplainable opposition to GCU’s 2018 conversion from for-profit to non-profit, which was supported by the Internal Revenue Service, the Higher Learning Commission, and the State of Arizona. Since GCU first appealed ED’s refusal to recognize their non-profit status in 2021, ED has targeted the university.

The Department of Education’s egregious fine against GCU is yet another example of a weaponized federal government. The Department is utilizing its unchecked bureaucratic power to unjustly target a Christian university. The fine and “evidence” supporting ED’s allegations against GCU must be investigated.

Cosigners of this letter are: Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ).

The letter may be read here.

The Daily Caller covered the letter here.

Commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of the Phoenix VA Scandal

Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) hosted a press conference to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Phoenix VA Scandal.

A decade ago, the Phoenix VA was embroiled in a scandal that contributed to the tragic deaths of around 40 veterans. Officials at the Phoenix VA kept a secret waitlist of veterans seeking care that was hidden from federal regulators. 

At least 1,700 veterans who requested an appointment were never placed on an official waitlist. In June of 2014, an internal Veterans Affairs audit found that more than 120,000 veterans were left waiting or never received care.

The Phoenix VA could have reported the truth to federal regulators in an attempt to remedy the process. However, doing so would have likely meant losing out on bonus pay and other incentives that hospitals and VA staff received for keeping wait times short.

Instead of making the outrageously long wait times public in hopes of fixing the problem, administrators at Phoenix VA chose to cover it up. The scandal was not isolated to the Phoenix VA. It was indicative of a larger, nationwide problem caused by career bureaucrats working only for their next paycheck.

The Constitution created three branches of government and gave each checks over the others. The congressional oversight and reforms that were put into place after the internal audits were released have helped to ensure that such negligence and abuse are never repeated.

But our work is not done. I hear frequently from veterans, their family members, and caregivers in my district that they remain unsatisfied with the care and services they receive from the VA. Delays in scheduling appointments, problems with obtaining community care and reimbursement under the MISSION Act, and access to emergent and ongoing mental health care under the COMPACT Act are unnecessary roadblocks that prevent our veterans from getting the care that they need.

I’m grateful for the strong veteran support community in my district and for my Veterans Advisory Council that keeps me up to date on these ongoing problems with the VA. Congress must continue conducting oversight over the VA and other bureaucratic agencies, and my office will never stop fighting to ensure the veterans of Arizona’s “Fighting Fifth” District receive the care they have so rightly earned.

Team Biggs also attended a press conference for the same purpose in Phoenix. I am thankful for the veterans and advocates who gathered in my home state to call for more accountability.

Military Service Academy Conference: May 4th 

I will be hosting a Military Service Academy Conference with the office of Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ) on Saturday, May 4th from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm at Combs High School Performing Arts Center. 

Liaisons from the U.S. Military, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, and Naval academies will discuss military service and career opportunities. My staff will additionally be on-site to discuss the application and nomination process. 

Hope to see you there! Please RSVP with the link below:
https://biggs.house.gov/service-academy-conference

Drop Zone 2024

On Saturday, June 1, 2024, my office will host our 5th annual DROP ZONE event!

Drop Zone is a one-stop resource fair for veterans, seniors, and residents of Arizona’s 5th District. Participants will have access to many valuable resources in one location: VA benefit consultations, health screenings, Taxpayer Advocacy Services, community support organizations, employment assistance, and more!

Drop Zone will be held on June 1, 2024, from 10 am to 2 pm at the American Leadership Academy Applied Technologies Campus located at 7729 E. Pecos Road, Mesa, AZ 85212.

Stay tuned for more updates. Drop Zone 2023 was a major success and we hope this year’s will be too!

Congratulating Congressional App Challenge Winner Ronith Balusani

I was pleased to meet and speak with Ronith Balusani and his father. Ronith is an exceptional young man and my district’s Congressional App Challenge winner. His app, SafeSeat, will revolutionize emergency response to children or pets left in hot cars.

I continue to be impressed with the young people from my district. Thank you, Ronith, for your work to protect our community!

More about SafeSeat may be found here.

Legislation and Letters

Bills Cosponsored:

• H.R. 7947 - Restoring Court Authority Over Litigation Act (Rep. Fitzgerald) 
  

Letters Led:

• Letter to Department of Education Inspector General re $37.7 Million Fine Levied Against Grand Canyon University
  

Letters Cosigned:

• Letter to House Leadership re CHIPS/NEPA to House Leadership (Rep. McCaul) 
  
• Letter to Mayor Adams on NYC’s Immediate Response Card Program (Rep. Gooden) 

Alien Invasion Border Documentary

Check out my border documentary titled Alien Invasion. The 30-minute documentary features footage from private ranches along the border, the Darien Gap in Panama, and interviews with members of Congress, Border Patrol, local and state law enforcement, and much more. It addresses how President Biden’s border crisis began, its consequences, and solutions to address the crisis.  

The border documentary may be watched here.

Top Media Appearances of the Week

I joined Newsmax with Rob Finnerty and Sharla McBride to discuss AG Garland’s refusal to turn over the audio tapes of Joe Biden and Robert Hur. Click the image below to watch some of the segment:

I joined Joe Concha with Fox Across America to discuss the 86 House Republicans who voted with Joe Biden to take down my warrant requirement amendment. Click the image below to listen to some of the segment:

I joined John Solomon Reports to discuss the importance of requiring the FBI to obtain a warrant for all U.S. persons searches. Click the image below to listen to some of the segment:

Tweet of the Week 

Constituent Services 

Flags
Would you like to purchase a flag that has been flown over the U.S. Capitol? Flags flown over the Capitol include a certificate, which may be personalized for a particular person, event, or organization. Click here to learn more about purchasing a flag.

Internships
If you or someone you know is interested in completing an internship in either my Mesa or Washington, D.C. office, they can apply directly on my website. 

Help With a Federal Agency 
If you can’t get an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly, my office may be able to help resolve a problem or get you the information you need. For example, my office routinely helps constituents with issues involving the Veterans Administration, the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the State Department, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  You can learn more by visiting my website.

Click here to find out more information about my office’s services. 

Tours and Tickets

Interested in touring the White House or U.S. Capitol? As constituents of the Fifth Congressional District, you may request tickets and tours for various Washington D.C. destinations from my office. 

All tickets are provided to constituents on a first-come, first-served basis, so request tickets early.

Click here for more information.